This religious state had an economy cased upon shipbuilding and fishing, due to access to water. While the soil was rocky and subpar, agriculture was still an important part of the economy. This state was located in the New England colonies, with cities such as Boston acting as a center of foreign commerce and a busy commercial port. The population was ever expanding; according to the earliest census report, Massachusetts was the fourth most populous state at the time.
Occupation and Background
Mercy Otis Warren was born in 1754 in Barnstable, Massachusetts. She was the youngest child and only daughter to a family with many brothers. She studied alongside her brother at a young age, excelling in her studies and particularly favoring history and politics. When one of her older brothers decided not to pursue a formal education, Mercy was able to take his place at Harvard College. There, she met her husband, James Warren, with whom she had five sons. Mercy and her husband became close friends with John and Abigail Adams, and Mercy involved herself strongly in government. Whether it be through debate or her writing, Mercy was one of the prime Patriots in the American Revolution. She wrote many pieces that satirized Loyalists and propagandized the British Crown; many of these plays and pamphlets were written anonymously or under a pen name, due to her inconvenient gender. Modern historians use the abundant letters Mercy wrote to her friends and family to study the environment of the colonies during the Revolution.
Constitutional Convention
Mercy Otis Warren was not invited to the Constitutional Convention, because she was a woman. Women were not allowed in politics in Britain, and that traditional somehow carried over to the colonies; however, Warren strongly believed that the colonies’ independence from the crown would lead to more rights for women, another reason why she supported the fight for independence. However, she was good friends with John Adams, and he was at the Convention.
States Ratifying Convention
Evidence shows that Mercy Otis Warren was not present at the Massachusetts Ratification Convention, mostly because of her gender.
Constitution Arguments
Mercy Otis Warren was a strong Anti-Federalist, along with her husband, James Warren. She wrote a pamphlet with 15 objections against the Constitution under the pen name “A Columbian Patriot” and distributed thousands of copies across New York, a state whose approval was desperately needed for the ratification of the Constitution. A few of these arguments included her harsh criticism of the undefined limits of the judiciary system, the dangerously blurry lines of the executive and legislative branches, the abolition of trial by jury in civil causes, and a lack of representatives for so many people. She was also concerned that a single entity of government could effectively rule over such a huge mass of land. Her friends usually included John and Abigail Adams, but their friend grew tensions as the Adams were strong Federalists while the Warrens were equally strong Anti-Federalists. Fellow Anti-Federalists included Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, and the Federalists includes the likes of Alexander Hamilton and Edmund Randolph.
Bibliography
Baym, Nina. "American Revolution: Mercy Otis Warren." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
Lloyd, Gordon. "Introduction to the Massachusetts Ratification Convention." Introduction to the Massachusetts Ratification Convention. Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
Schweitzer, Ivy. "Heath Anthology of American Literature- Text Book Home Page." Heath Anthology of American Literature- Text Book Home Page. Houghton Mifflin Company, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
United States of America. US Department of Commerce. United States Census Bureau. 1790 Census. N.p.: n.p., 1790. Print.
Warren, Mercy Otis, Jeffrey H. Richards, and Sharon M. Harris. Mercy Otis Warren: Selected Letters. Athens: University of Georgia, 2009. Print.
Warren, Mercy Otis. Observations on the New Constitution, and on the Federal and State Conventions. Boston: n.p., 1788. Print.
Mercy Otis Warren
Position: Anti-Federalist
(Amanda)
Massachusetts
This religious state had an economy cased upon shipbuilding and fishing, due to access to water. While the soil was rocky and subpar, agriculture was still an important part of the economy. This state was located in the New England colonies, with cities such as Boston acting as a center of foreign commerce and a busy commercial port. The population was ever expanding; according to the earliest census report, Massachusetts was the fourth most populous state at the time.
Occupation and Background
Mercy Otis Warren was born in 1754 in Barnstable, Massachusetts. She was the youngest child and only daughter to a family with many brothers. She studied alongside her brother at a young age, excelling in her studies and particularly favoring history and politics. When one of her older brothers decided not to pursue a formal education, Mercy was able to take his place at Harvard College. There, she met her husband, James Warren, with whom she had five sons. Mercy and her husband became close friends with John and Abigail Adams, and Mercy involved herself strongly in government. Whether it be through debate or her writing, Mercy was one of the prime Patriots in the American Revolution. She wrote many pieces that satirized Loyalists and propagandized the British Crown; many of these plays and pamphlets were written anonymously or under a pen name, due to her inconvenient gender. Modern historians use the abundant letters Mercy wrote to her friends and family to study the environment of the colonies during the Revolution.
Constitutional Convention
Mercy Otis Warren was not invited to the Constitutional Convention, because she was a woman. Women were not allowed in politics in Britain, and that traditional somehow carried over to the colonies; however, Warren strongly believed that the colonies’ independence from the crown would lead to more rights for women, another reason why she supported the fight for independence. However, she was good friends with John Adams, and he was at the Convention.States Ratifying Convention
Evidence shows that Mercy Otis Warren was not present at the Massachusetts Ratification Convention, mostly because of her gender.Constitution Arguments
Mercy Otis Warren was a strong Anti-Federalist, along with her husband, James Warren. She wrote a pamphlet with 15 objections against the Constitution under the pen name “A Columbian Patriot” and distributed thousands of copies across New York, a state whose approval was desperately needed for the ratification of the Constitution. A few of these arguments included her harsh criticism of the undefined limits of the judiciary system, the dangerously blurry lines of the executive and legislative branches, the abolition of trial by jury in civil causes, and a lack of representatives for so many people. She was also concerned that a single entity of government could effectively rule over such a huge mass of land. Her friends usually included John and Abigail Adams, but their friend grew tensions as the Adams were strong Federalists while the Warrens were equally strong Anti-Federalists. Fellow Anti-Federalists included Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, and the Federalists includes the likes of Alexander Hamilton and Edmund Randolph.
Bibliography
Baym, Nina. "American Revolution: Mercy Otis Warren." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
Lloyd, Gordon. "Introduction to the Massachusetts Ratification Convention." Introduction to the Massachusetts Ratification Convention. Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
Schweitzer, Ivy. "Heath Anthology of American Literature- Text Book Home Page." Heath Anthology of American Literature- Text Book Home Page. Houghton Mifflin Company, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
United States of America. US Department of Commerce. United States Census Bureau. 1790 Census. N.p.: n.p., 1790. Print.
Warren, Mercy Otis, Jeffrey H. Richards, and Sharon M. Harris. Mercy Otis Warren: Selected Letters. Athens: University of Georgia, 2009. Print.
Warren, Mercy Otis. Observations on the New Constitution, and on the Federal and State Conventions. Boston: n.p., 1788. Print.